2 USamuyeli 15

1 Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi u-Abhisalomu wazidingela inqola yempi lamabhiza kanye labantu abangamatshumi amahlanu ukuba ngabagijima phambi kwakhe.

Now after this, Absalom got for himself a carriage and horses, and fifty runners to go before him.

2 Wayevuka ekuseni kakhulu ame eceleni komgwaqo oya esangweni ledolobho. Kwakusithi loba ngubani ofikayo ukuyamangala icala enkosini ukuba liqunywe, u-Abhisalomu wayembiza athi, “Wena uvela kuliphi idolobho?” Wayephendula athi, “Inceku yakho ivela kwesinye sezizwana zako-Israyeli.”

And Absalom got up early, morning after morning, and took his place at the side of the public meeting-place: and when any man had a cause which had to come to the king to be judged, then Absalom, crying out to him, said, What is your town? and he would say, Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 Lapho-ke u-Abhisalomu wayesithi kuye, “Khangela, okufunayo kuqondile njalo kufanele, kodwa akulammeli wenkosi ukuba akuzwe.”

And Absalom would say to him, See, your cause is true and right; but no man has been named by the king to give you a hearing.

4 U-Abhisalomu wayeqhubeka athi, “Sekuze kungathi ngabe ngabekwa ukuba ngumahluleli elizweni! Loba ngubani olensolo kumbe icala wayezakuza kimi ngibone ukuthi wahlulelwa kuhle.”

And more than this, Absalom said, If only I was made judge in the land, so that every man who has any cause or question might come to me, and I would give a right decision for him!

5 Njalo kwakusithi umuntu angafika kuye akhothamele phansi phambi kwakhe, u-Abhisalomu wayeselula isandla sakhe ambambe amange.

And if any man came near to give him honour, he took him by the hand and gave him a kiss.

6 U-Abhisalomu waziphatha ngale indlela kubo bonke abako-Israyeli abaya enkosini ukuyacela ukwahlulelwa kuhle, ngalokho wakhanga inhliziyo zabantu abanengi ko-Israyeli.

And this Absalom did to everyone in Israel who came to the king to have his cause judged: so Absalom, like a thief, took away the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 Ekupheleni kweminyaka emine, u-Abhisalomu wathi enkosini, “Ngisake ngiye eHebhroni ukuyagcwalisa isifungo engasenzayo kuThixo.

Now at the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, Let me go to Hebron and give effect to the oath which I made to the Lord:

8 Inceku yakho isahlala eGeshuri e-Aramu, yenza isifungo lesi: ‘Nxa uThixo engangibuyisela eJerusalema ngizamkhonza uThixo eHebhroni.’”

For while I was living in Geshur in Aram, your servant made an oath, saying, If ever the Lord lets me come back to Jerusalem, I will give him worship in Hebron.

9 Inkosi yathi kuye, “Hamba ngokuthula.” Ngakho waya eHebhroni.

And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he got up and went to Hebron.

10 Emva kwalokho u-Abhisalomu wathuma izithunywa ezifihlakeleyo kuzozonke izizwana zako-Israyeli ukuba zithi, “Lingezwa nje ukukhala kwecilongo, tshonini lithi, ‘U-Abhisalomu uyinkosi eHebhroni!’”

But Absalom at the same time sent watchers through all the tribes of Israel to say, At the sound of the horn you are to say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

11 Abantu abangamakhulu amabili baseJerusalema babehambe lo-Abhisalomu. Babenxuswe njengezethekeli njalo behambe bekhululekile, bengazi lutho ngendaba leyo.

And with Absalom, at his request, went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were completely unconscious of his designs.

12 U-Abhisalomu esanikela imihlatshelo, wabiza u-Ahithofeli umGiloni, umeluleki kaDavida, ukuba eze evela eGilo, umuzi wakibo. Ngalokho icebo lomvukela laqina, labalandeli baka-Abhisalomu baqhubeka besanda.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, one of David's helpers, from Giloh his town, while he was making the offerings. And the design against David became strong, for more and more people were joined to Absalom.

13 Kwafika isithunywa kuDavida sathi, “Inhliziyo zabantu bako-Israyeli ziku-Abhisalomu.”

And one came to David and said, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.

14 UDavida wasesithi kuzozonke izikhulu zakhe ezazilaye eJerusalema, “Wozani! Kumele sibaleke, hlezi kungabi lamunye wethu ozaphepha ku-Abhisalomu. Kumele sisuke masinyane hlezi asixhume alethe incithakalo kithi njalo ahlasele idolobho ngenkemba.”

And David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Come, let us go in flight, or not one of us will be safe from Absalom: let us go without loss of time, or he will overtake us quickly and send evil on us, and put the town to the sword.

15 Izikhulu zenkosi zaphendula zathi, “Izinceku zakho zilungele ukwenza loba yini umhlekazi wethu inkosi akukhethayo.”

And the king's servants said to the king, See, your servants are ready to do whatever the king says is to be done.

16 Inkosi yaphuma labendlu yayo bonke beyilandela; kodwa yatshiya abafazi beceleni abalitshumi ukuba bagcine isigodlo.

So the king went out, taking with him all the people of his house, but for ten of his women, who were to take care of the house.

17 Ngakho inkosi yasuka, labantu bonke beyilandela, basebesima endaweni elibanga elithize.

And the king went out, and all his servants went after him, and made a stop at the Far House.

18 Bonke abantu bayo bayedlula, ndawonye lawo wonke amaKherethi lamaPhelethi, kanye lawo wonke amaGithi angamakhulu ayisithupha ayehambe layo kusukela eGathi ahamba phambi kwenkosi.

And all the people went on by his side; and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the men of Ittai of Gath, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, went on before the king.

19 Inkosi yasisithi ku-Ithayi umGithi, “Kungani uhamba lathi na? Buyela emuva uyehlala lenkosi u-Abhisalomu. Wena ungumuntu wezizweni, owaxotshwayo elizweni lakini.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why are you coming with us? go back and keep with the king: for you are a man of another country, you are far from the land of your birth.

20 Ufike izolo nje. Kambe sekungathi lamhla lokhu ngikwenze uzulazule lathi, mina ngingakwazi lalapho engingaya khona? Buyela emuva uthathe abantu bakini. Sengathi uThixo angakwenzela umusa lokuhle.”

It was only yesterday you came to us; why then am I to make you go up and down with us? for I have to go where I may; go back then, and take your countrymen with you, and may the Lord's mercy and good faith be with you.

21 Kodwa u-Ithayi wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, njalo njengoba umhlekazi wami inkosi, ephila, loba kungaphi lapho umhlekazi wami inkosi ezakuba ikhona, loba kusitsho ukuphila kumbe ukufa, inceku yakho izakuba khonapho.”

And Ittai the Gittite in answer said, By the living Lord, and by the life of my lord the king, in whatever place my lord the king may be, for life or death, there will your servant be.

22 UDavida wasesithi ku-Ithayi, “Qhubeka, hamba.” Ngakho u-Ithayi umGithi wahamba labantu bakhe bonke kanye lezimuli ezazilaye.

And David said to Ittai, Go forward, then. And Ittai the Gittite went on, with all his men and all the little ones he had with him.

23 Ilizwe lonke lakhala kakhulu lapho abantu bonke besedlula. Inkosi yachapha isiHotsha saseKhidironi, abantu bonke bahamba beqonde enkangala.

And there was great weeping in all the country when all the people went through; and the king himself was waiting in the Kidron valley and all the people went by him in the direction of the olive-tree on the edge of the waste land.

24 UZadokhi laye wayekhona, labaLevi bonke ababelaye babethwele ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, njalo u-Abhiyathari wanikela imihlatshelo abantu bonke baze baphela ukusuka edolobheni.

Then Zadok came, and Abiathar, and with them the ark of God's agreement: and they put down the ark of God, till all the people from the town had gone by.

25 Inkosi yasisithi kuZadokhi, “Buyisela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu edolobheni. Ngingathola umusa emehlweni kaThixo, uzangibuyisela emuva enze ukuba ngilibone futhi kanye lendawo yakhe yokuhlala.

And the king said to Zadok, Take the ark of God back into the town: if I have grace in the eyes of the Lord, he will let me come back and see it and his House again:

26 Kodwa angathi, ‘Kangithokozi ngawe,’ lapho-ke ngizilungisele; kenze kimi loba kuyini okukhanya kulungile kuye.”

But if he says, I have no delight in you: then, here I am; let him do to me what seems good to him.

27 Inkosi yabuya yathi kuZadokhi umphristi, “Uyazwisisa na? Buyela emuva edolobheni ngokuthula, lendodana yakho u-Ahimazi loJonathani indodana ka-Abhiyathari. Wena lo-Abhiyathari hambani lamadodana enu.

The king said further to Zadok the priest, See, you and Abiathar are to go back to the town in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz, your son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar.

28 Mina ngizakuma emazibukweni enkangala kuze kufike ilizwi elivela kini lingazisa.”

See, I will be waiting at the way across the river, in the waste land, till I get news from you.

29 Ngakho uZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari balibuyisela eJerusalema ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lahlala khona.

So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and did not go away from there.

30 Kodwa uDavida waqhubeka ekhwela iNtaba yama-Oliva, ehamba ekhala; ikhanda lakhe lalimboziwe njalo ebhadula ngezinyawo. Bonke abantu ababelaye labo bamboza amakhanda abo njalo bakhwela bekhala.

And David went up the slopes of the Mount of Olives weeping all the way, with his head covered and no shoes on his feet: and all the people who were with him, covering their heads, went up weeping.

31 UDavida wayetshelwe ukuthi, “U-Ahithofeli uphakathi kwabahlamuki lo-Abhisalomu.” Ngakho uDavida wakhuleka wathi, “Oh, Thixo phendula ukululeka kuka-Ahithofeli kube yibuthutha.”

And word came to David, saying, Ahithophel is among those who are joined to Absalom. And David said, O Lord, let the wisdom of Ahithophel be made foolish.

32 Kwathi uDavida esefikile engqongeni, lapho abantu ababejayele ukukhonzela khona uNkulunkulu, uHushayi umʼArikhi wayekhonapho ukuba amhlangabeze, isembatho sakhe sidabukile njalo elothuli ekhanda.

Now when David had come to the top of the slope, where they gave worship to God, Hushai the Archite came to him in great grief with dust on his head:

33 UDavida wathi kuye, “Ungahamba lami, uzakuba ngumthwalo onzima kimi.

David said to him, If you go on with me, you will be a trouble to me:

34 Kodwa nxa ubuyela edolobheni uyekuthi ku-Abhisalomu, ‘Ngizakuba yinceku yakho, awu nkosi, ngangiyinceku kayihlo kudala, kodwa khathesi ngizakuba yinceku yakho,’ lapho-ke ungangisiza ngokufubisa izeluleko zika-Ahithofeli.

But if you go back to the town and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as in the past I have been your father's servant, so now I will be yours: then you will be able to keep Ahithophel's designs against me from being put into effect.

35 Abaphristi uZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari kabayikuba khonale lawe na? Batshele konke okuzwayo esigodlweni senkosi.

And have you not there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so whatever comes to your ears from the king's house, give word of it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Amadodana abo amabili, u-Ahimazi indodana kaZadokhi loJonathani indodana ka-Abhiyathari, akhonale kanye labo. Bathumele kimi ngakho konke okuzwayo.”

See, they have with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar; by them you may send word to me of everything which comes to your ears.

37 Ngakho umngane kaDavida uHushayi wafika eJerusalema khonapho u-Abhisalomu laye engena edolobheni.

So Hushai, David's friend, went into the town, and Absalom came to Jerusalem.